There are so many other choices, and I'm no food snob...only way I'd end up there is if I was traveling and had little choice.....
I haven't been there in about 6 years and have probably been there 3 to 5 times in my life. It's fine. Exactly what you'd expect. Mediocre. Wouldn't go there unless, like you said, it was one of a few options... but I wouldn't leave there disgusted.
Given OG's declining sales (and the pattern for some time) Â
and the concerted effort by the group that owns them to bolster their image through advertising and menu changes, I'm going to say that even those normal folks don't have too many good things to say about it.
But outside the comforts of the Tri-State, it can be a shining beacon of hope.
I've managed to get around a fair bit of this country, and I've seen this statement repeated often. I've yet to find a place that didn't have at least a few good restaurants, and even if you were going to eat in a chain, would OG really rank anywhere near the top of the list?
problem with them is that they DROWN (along with a lot of other places) their foods in cheeses and butters and oils and shit.
i just don't like when my foot swims in shit.
Additionally PORTIONS is the biggest issue at any/all places... you feel guilty for not eating everything you spent money on, but they give you 3 person's worth of fucking food.
Portion control food all the way . I don't understand why people bitch about it; there isn't a team of trained culinary geniuses sending this stuff out behind the scenes. I dealt with chains like this. The soup comes in frozen drums , the deserts are defrosted with a sauce drizzled on top, they are making a killing. It is what it is.
I used to go there with my friends when I was in college Â
And both times I just ordered the chicken Caesar salad. It was fine.
Leave it to the idiots at my office in north jersey to invite the VP and other big wigs up from Atlanta to visit and where do they take them? Olive Garden.
I don't think they like the vp that much...
Depends on how much you like salt and corn syrup Â
Yes. Not saying the food is inedible but to say one is a "snob" for thinking it's bad just shows unsophisticated you re.
Literally precisely what a snob would say... Like, completely.
Associating my alleged lack of sophistication with an inability to hate Olive Garden. Note, my post never said it was very good. I said it was mediocre. But not hating it means a lack of sophistication according to you.
Thanks for my proving my point that it takes a snob with an Olive Garden breadstick up their ass to elevate their self-worth by hating a mediocre chain restaurant. You're so sophisticated!
Actually I have been to the local one maybe 6-7 times Â
Over the past few years. My kids LOVE it, and as for me? Well it was phucquing delicious every single time, and cheap as shit. We'll head there after shopping at the mall now and then.
So why don't I go back that often?
- It's always completely JAM-PACKED with people, with always a wait for a table
- Just looking at that plate, I am SURE that each dish is probably 9,700 calories and loaded with MSG, {INSERT BAD INGREDIENT HERE], {INSERT OTHER BAD INGREDIENT HERE], {INSERT BAD ANOTHER INGREDIENT HERE], {INSERT YES EVEN ANOTHER BAD INGREDIENT HERE] and you will probably grow a 3rd eye if you eat it too often.
but jcn pretty much nailed it.
It's parent organization sees continual declining revenue and knows it needs to change and in fact is making some changes. Pretty much right now.
I haven't eaten their in years but when I did years ago it was OK. I gave a neighbor 2 years ago a gift certificate…I wonder if they hate me for it ;)
Initially they set up the restaurant as American people think a italian restaurant should be not as one actually is in real life.
So the concept is sort of like a average if you could produce of all American Italian restaurants.
So that was the initial model. It seems now it is failing and being rethought. It worked very handily for quite a few years however.
But yes, JCN was correct in his initial comment.
RE: RE: There's no reason to value Olive Garden up here Â
But outside the comforts of the Tri-State, it can be a shining beacon of hope.
I've managed to get around a fair bit of this country, and I've seen this statement repeated often. I've yet to find a place that didn't have at least a few good restaurants, and even if you were going to eat in a chain, would OG really rank anywhere near the top of the list?
I might trust it more than taking a shot on an italian joint in Des Moines, but that's just one example. Some people don't want to put guess work into picking a place to eat, especially when they're on the move.
But let's just be perfectly honest here, if you pay $11.99 ($15.99 in Times Square) for 7 frozen ravioli with mediocre sauce dumped on them, you're a buffoon.
MCDonald's restaurants have seen significant declines recently in America.
They missed their earnings and took a big hit. Americans just are not eating their like they used to. You may say…well my MCD is crowded, but this is a nationwide same store sales thing.
Used to be they were quite popular here.
Now it is Chipotle. Years and years ago MCD actually owned controlling interest in C but sold it. Now I bet they wished they had it back big time.
So Olive Garden now has to change. Yours may do great business overall same store sales…not so much.
2 of the people who who claimed you don't have to be a snob to hate Olive Garden with a passion justified by saying
1) Someone who doesn't lacks sophistication
2) The other (jcn) humble-bragged about traveling all over the country and seeing places where it's hated, too.
when they cook their pasta. They do this to save wear and tear on their cookware. I read this in the NY Times. The one time I walked into one, was in Louisville while visiting relatives. It looked like a place where appetites go to die.As a doc,however, I love these places. Keeps me in business
but there's no reason to pay for not very good food unless there are no choices. I'm not a food snob, there are several chains that I enjoy ... Chili's, Cheesecake Factory, etc. The thing I really cannot understand is that the 2 items that are borderline inedible are the breadsticks and salad, and incredibly these are the 2 things that get the most kudos here. It just absolutely astonishes me.
good for you food. It is the nationwide trend in fast food and in supermarket foods.
Krogers killed earning largely on the additions of their organic food brands.
Chipolte is off a bit this week as their increases did not match the prospectus but they are still trading at a outrageous multiple as they are growing so fast.
Fast food is modifying to this selectively as are restaurant chains.
The more a food or meal appears healthy is the more its business is growing.
Whole foods stock is still down year over year but it is not that it has become unpopular but that walmart has gotten into organics as well. And something I have noticed which may help whole food eventually….Walmart is now carrying whole foods branded food stuffs, tomato sauces stuff like that.
Organics healthy is becoming mainstream.
Olive garden does not have that reputation right now but that could be changed.
I do trade a bit in this area so it is why I am pretty current. Trading Kroger and Vitamin cottage(a smaller competitor to WFM) just recently.
when they cook their pasta. They do this to save wear and tear on their cookware. I read this in the NY Times. The one time I walked into one, was in Louisville while visiting relatives. It looked like a place where appetites go to die.As a doc,however, I love these places. Keeps me in business
They also don't finish the pasta in sauce, which is Pasta 101. Which surprises me, because of you'd think their fine Italian culinary school in Tuscany would have covered that.
is pretty bad in my experience. What kills me is that there are people waiting in line for that food. There are plenty of better options. I don't get the appeal.
As some know huge into nutrition and working out. That said? Maybe it's just my local one but seriously, I don't eat it often at all but that food was BLAMMO every time I ate there. Can't remember the breadsticks though... lol. Plus they had decent beer on tap. Beer is my main vice.
As far as contemporary chains go... Texas Roadhouse?? Holy SHIT that place is the phucquing BOMB.
Maybe my taste sucks because I eat mostly healthy? So that when I do get out any old shit will do? Could be I guess.
See. This is my point. How anyone could possibly LIKE these tastless whitebread, no crust, greasy,salt crusted concoctions is beyond me. There are so many examples of good bread in the tri-state area ... this is NOT ONE!
That's my name for all of those restaurants. Applebees, Red Lobster, Friday's, Uno's, etc... ALL of them just overseason the shit out of most of their dishes.
Olive Garden arguably has better tasting food than most of those chains, but it has always really shocked me that Olive Garden ever caught on. What town doesn't have an Italian restaurant better than Olive Garden?
They're all good for emergency meals. I usually wind up getting a couple of gift cards to those chains at Xmas, otherwise, I'd never set foot in one.
Oh - and Red Lobster IS THE WORST. Fucking disgusting. You can literally suck on a salt-drenched clove of garlic and get the same experience.
The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
See. This is my point. How anyone could possibly LIKE these tastless whitebread, no crust, greasy,salt crusted concoctions is beyond me. There are so many examples of good bread in the tri-state area ... this is NOT ONE!
Listen, I worked at an Olive Garden 12 years ago, so I see the appeal in something that is slathered in garlic butter.
But again, like everything else on their menu, you can make it better at home with very little effort. Melt a bunch of butter and dump in a shitload of garlic salt. Mix it in an empty bucket with a boat oar, then use a paint roller to slather it on some Italian bread. Bake and serve.
The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
Greg pretty much nails it, except that of all the chains, OG ranks near the bottom.
RE: Ooh, an Olive Garden thread. Time to tell lies! Â
It's what people know, so they stick to it and people LOVE LARGE PORTIONS. That never-ending pasta bowl is a draw for so many people that are completely content to eat themselves to the brink of physical illness for 9.99, just to "get their fill".
roughly tells you the growth rate of the stock anticipated in the future.
This tells you roughly where the growth is.
Chipotle,,,53, McD…10, Dri(Darden)….9
Darden the parent owns a lot of other things, Olive garden is not all it is by far, but olive garden is the one with the most trouble right now it seems.
I don't own it don't study it but it appears to be loosing market share and same store sales overall.
Because if you're going to eat mediocre food, you may as well get your money's worth. That's why the Golden Corral down the street from my house is absolutely packed at all times, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, and this is in a city which just won an award for its culinary scene.
I think people that are killing it are lyin'. I mean, it's exactly like Doritos. Mass produced, loaded with Kaka. But holy sheite if you can't sit down and eat 3 bags consecutively if you let yourself.
When you get out into God's country, it can be damned tough to find a decent mom and pop place. Pensacola had one decent Italian restaurant, one in the whole city. As I said before, I don't believe Yuma even had one that wasn't a chain. You guys in the Northeast take it for granted because there are skads of them where you live, but that's not the case everywhere.
RE: and while basic Italian food is usually pretty hard to screw up Â
When you get out into God's country, it can be damned tough to find a decent mom and pop place. Pensacola had one decent Italian restaurant, one in the whole city. As I said before, I don't believe Yuma even had one that wasn't a chain. You guys in the Northeast take it for granted because there are skads of them where you live, but that's not the case everywhere.
St. Louis found a way to fuck up pizza. That's telling.
RE: Golden Corral and buffets in general are gross Â
because my wife likes the salad. I have to admit that the salad is probably the best thing on the menu.
Their regular sauce isn't very good, but their meat sauce is decent. Get spaghetti with meat sauce with a side of Italian sausage and it's not too bad of a meal for about 11 or 12 bucks.
See. This is my point. How anyone could possibly LIKE these tastless whitebread, no crust, greasy,salt crusted concoctions is beyond me. There are so many examples of good bread in the tri-state area ... this is NOT ONE!
Listen, I worked at an Olive Garden 12 years ago, so I see the appeal in something that is slathered in garlic butter.
But again, like everything else on their menu, you can make it better at home with very little effort. Melt a bunch of butter and dump in a shitload of garlic salt. Mix it in an empty bucket with a boat oar, then use a paint roller to slather it on some Italian bread. Bake and serve.
Except that doing it your way would result in a nice crust bread that might be edible. Better yet, slice the bread lengthwise, spread the butter and garlic salt on the inside (not the crust) and put it under the broiler to lightly toast.
RE: and while basic Italian food is usually pretty hard to screw up Â
When you get out into God's country, it can be damned tough to find a decent mom and pop place. Pensacola had one decent Italian restaurant, one in the whole city. As I said before, I don't believe Yuma even had one that wasn't a chain. You guys in the Northeast take it for granted because there are skads of them where you live, but that's not the case everywhere.
Even in the northeast, mom and pop places are hit and miss.
See. This is my point. How anyone could possibly LIKE these tastless whitebread, no crust, greasy,salt crusted concoctions is beyond me. There are so many examples of good bread in the tri-state area ... this is NOT ONE!
Grease, salt, and garlic is not tasteless. That's how.
RE: and while basic Italian food is usually pretty hard to screw up Â
When you get out into God's country, it can be damned tough to find a decent mom and pop place. Pensacola had one decent Italian restaurant, one in the whole city. As I said before, I don't believe Yuma even had one that wasn't a chain. You guys in the Northeast take it for granted because there are skads of them where you live, but that's not the case everywhere.
Greg you are correct. When I lived in Florida I gladly ate Olive Garden. Now that I am back in NY I haven't been there once.
If I am going out with the guys to watch sports I am fine going to (Pick a Chain Restaurant) to have appetizers and what not. However... if I am going to dinner and I know a place has better choices than a chain I am going to pick the better restaurant.
For example... if I am Memphis I am not gonna go to Famous Dave's for BBQ. I am going to pick a local BBQ spot because that's what they do best.
The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
I get that they're predictable and consistent. There's a reason there's a zillion McDonalds and they're all busy.
Thing is - just about everyone of these chains is better than OG. Due to circumstance at one point or another, I've had to eat in all of them, and OG and TGIF are the only two that I'd rather just skip the meal entirely and eat the next day, they're not just consistent they're consistently awful.
The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
I get that they're predictable and consistent. There's a reason there's a zillion McDonalds and they're all busy.
Thing is - just about everyone of these chains is better than OG. Due to circumstance at one point or another, I've had to eat in all of them, and OG and TGIF are the only two that I'd rather just skip the meal entirely and eat the next day, they're not just consistent they're consistently awful.
We once had a new hire who sat next to me. He was maybe in his 40's and seemed normal enough. On his first or second day he asks me if there were any buffets near the office.
I asked if he meant a Chinese lunch buffet, sushi buffet, breakfast bugget... No, he meant like an Old Country Buffet.
He lasted about 2 months and I *think* he was canned because he allowed a vendor to steal money from us. Obviously correlation doesn't imply causation but I knew we were fucked after he said that.
Places were bad until I had to shell out $1600 per
Semester for son to eat at college cafeteria. .
the food was so bad he and friends are eating
at fast food and buying tv dinners for same price...
The only thing I like about buffets is that I can get in and out quickly. There's no waiting for the waitress to take your order then when you're done you can't find her to ask for the check. When you get the check they then disappear for a long time and you wonder if you'll get your credit card back.
The thing I hate about buffets is that even if I only take small portions of different foods I still end up eating too much.
The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
The only thing I like about buffets is that I can get in and out quickly. There's no waiting for the waitress to take your order then when you're done you can't find her to ask for the check. When you get the check they then disappear for a long time and you wonder if you'll get your credit card back.
The thing I hate about buffets is that even if I only take small portions of different foods I still end up eating too much.
absolutely. Add to in and out quickly, the fact that you can take what you want and if it urns out that you don't like it, go get something else. And instead of being limited to one entree, you can sample as many different ones as you want. Now, I have been to some bad buffets, but high end casinos are usually very good, and if you haven't been to the LV Bellagio's weekend gourmet buffet, you are really missing something.
Never been to an olive garden, but... A salesman took me to fazolis because of a time crunch. Fast food Italian. Seriously, it has a drive thru. I cannot imagine olive garden being worse than that.
is that the Italian food sucks in most parts of the country. Including CA. North Beach in SF has some of the worst Italian restaurants i have ever eaten at.
So, OG is not as bad by way of comparison as it would be in NY, Boston etc . . .
But really, if you want Italian food, go to a real Italian restaurant.
Back in April, my wife, kids, parents, and brothers went to Disney World. Last night we are there, we are going to go off site for dinner. I pushed hard for a highly rated Italian restaurant, but they had a 90 minute wait. So we went to Olive Garden. And I got food poisoning.
The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
When we moved from Jersey to Maryland, everyone reached about Ledos pizza. "Oh, it's so good, they said." Ledos is crap. Someone here decided that pizza sauce and crust needs to be loaded with sugar or something else that makes it really sweet. Took us over a year to find a decent NY Style Pizza place.
The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
When we moved from Jersey to Maryland, everyone reached about Ledos pizza. "Oh, it's so good, they said." Ledos is crap. Someone here decided that pizza sauce and crust needs to be loaded with sugar or something else that makes it really sweet. Took us over a year to find a decent NY Style Pizza place.
For the record Greg...every pizza in California is as repulsive as the next. I've been out here thirty three years and I have yet to find any pizza near as good as what I used to get at the Hempstead Bus Depot back in the late sixties. Yet, the locals all swear by whatever garbage is being served. Same story with bagels.
Olive Garden is horrible, but hey - it's a cheap, crappy chain that fills a niche. Carmine's completely baffles me. Nothing but over-garilcked, over-salted sauces on mounds of overcooked pasta and lousy meat - including meatballs ground to the texture of pudding. Yet New Yorkers who should know better flock to it. What's the attraction? The "family-style" service? That's just a gimmick that saves the staff the trouble of remembering who ordered what, and the kitchen the trouble of timing individual servings properly. The ambience? I guess deafening noise saves the customers the trouble of conversing. There's also the joy of paying an 800% markup on a $5 bottle of Montepulciano. (In fairness, their markup on higher-end wines is in line with industry standards.)
When I lived in California, there was one pizza place that was fairly close to NY pizza near my apartment on Pine Avenue in Long Beach. No idea if it's still around though, that was 15 years ago.
The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
When we moved from Jersey to Maryland, everyone reached about Ledos pizza. "Oh, it's so good, they said." Ledos is crap. Someone here decided that pizza sauce and crust needs to be loaded with sugar or something else that makes it really sweet. Took us over a year to find a decent NY Style Pizza place.
For the record Greg...every pizza in California is as repulsive as the next. I've been out here thirty three years and I have yet to find any pizza near as good as what I used to get at the Hempstead Bus Depot back in the late sixties. Yet, the locals all swear by whatever garbage is being served. Same story with bagels.
I imagine introducing those people to real NY style pizza would be like introducing cavemen to fire.
RE: Maggiano's is definitely much better than Olive Garden Â
Ahh, they was the restaurant that had a 90 minute wait in Orlando. Didn't realize it was a chain at all until they started building one at Columbia Mall. Definitely going to have to check it out.
Olive Garden is horrible, but hey - it's a cheap, crappy chain that fills a niche. Carmine's completely baffles me. Nothing but over-garilcked, over-salted sauces on mounds of overcooked pasta and lousy meat - including meatballs ground to the texture of pudding. Yet New Yorkers who should know better flock to it. What's the attraction? The "family-style" service? That's just a gimmick that saves the staff the trouble of remembering who ordered what, and the kitchen the trouble of timing individual servings properly. The ambience? I guess deafening noise saves the customers the trouble of conversing. There's also the joy of paying an 800% markup on a $5 bottle of Montepulciano. (In fairness, their markup on higher-end wines is in line with industry standards.)
Carmine's is living off reputation. It was never a great stop, but it was a place you could take a crowd, usually not have to have much advance notice either, and it was relatively cheap. The food has fallen off rapidly as they expanded into chain territory and they cut back on quality to improve their profit margins.
20 years ago, I worked on the UWS and we'd go there on occasion - food wasn't great, but we could get a seat for 15 people on the quick and there was alcohol. A couple of years ago I went to visit a friend up there and we stopped in, and the food was depressing. Nowhere near the level of quality it had been years ago.
Olive Garden is horrible, but hey - it's a cheap, crappy chain that fills a niche. Carmine's completely baffles me. Nothing but over-garilcked, over-salted sauces on mounds of overcooked pasta and lousy meat - including meatballs ground to the texture of pudding. Yet New Yorkers who should know better flock to it. What's the attraction? The "family-style" service? That's just a gimmick that saves the staff the trouble of remembering who ordered what, and the kitchen the trouble of timing individual servings properly. The ambience? I guess deafening noise saves the customers the trouble of conversing. There's also the joy of paying an 800% markup on a $5 bottle of Montepulciano. (In fairness, their markup on higher-end wines is in line with industry standards.)
Sorry, I like Carmine's. Been there twice. My wife and I used to make a habit of seeing a show in the city every year before we got married and popped out three kids. First time was in 2000 with my girlfriend (now wife). Second time was in 2002, with my fiance and some friends (we asked those friends to be in our wedding party that night). The food was tasty, the portions were large, and none of us were drinking wine.
When we moved from Jersey to Maryland, everyone reached about Ledos pizza. "Oh, it's so good, they said." Ledos is crap. Someone here decided that pizza sauce and crust needs to be loaded with sugar or something else that makes it really sweet. Took us over a year to find a decent NY Style Pizza place.
Ledo's is farking terrible. I've never had grape jelly that was as sweet as that sauce - yuck.
Bramton1: If your last visit to Carmine's was in 2002, you're lucky. Â
For the record Greg...every pizza in California is as repulsive as the next. I've been out here thirty three years and I have yet to find any pizza near as good as what I used to get at the Hempstead Bus Depot back in the late sixties. Yet, the locals all swear by whatever garbage is being served. Same story with bagels.
You haven't been to the right places. If you are interested I have 1/2 dozen places that have pizza and a 1/2 places that have bagels that are as good as or better than East Coast(and I grew up on the East Coast).
As I mention with Olive Garden…. management realizes there is a problem, they just came off earnings saying so and they are making changes to do so. They say they are(darden).
So eating at olive garden six months from now will not be the same as eating at olive garden a month age.
"Meh, an easy, affordable meal out every now and then. Wouldn't make a habit of eating it though." -Normal people
"It's delicious" -Filthy
There are so many other choices, and I'm no food snob...only way I'd end up there is if I was traveling and had little choice.....
There are so many other choices, and I'm no food snob...only way I'd end up there is if I was traveling and had little choice.....
I haven't been there in about 6 years and have probably been there 3 to 5 times in my life. It's fine. Exactly what you'd expect. Mediocre. Wouldn't go there unless, like you said, it was one of a few options... but I wouldn't leave there disgusted.
Yes. Not saying the food is inedible but to say one is a "snob" for thinking it's bad just shows unsophisticated you re.
I've managed to get around a fair bit of this country, and I've seen this statement repeated often. I've yet to find a place that didn't have at least a few good restaurants, and even if you were going to eat in a chain, would OG really rank anywhere near the top of the list?
i just don't like when my foot swims in shit.
Additionally PORTIONS is the biggest issue at any/all places... you feel guilty for not eating everything you spent money on, but they give you 3 person's worth of fucking food.
/rant off
The secret is that they are also hellaciously salty.
Leave it to the idiots at my office in north jersey to invite the VP and other big wigs up from Atlanta to visit and where do they take them? Olive Garden.
I don't think they like the vp that much...
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Yes. Not saying the food is inedible but to say one is a "snob" for thinking it's bad just shows unsophisticated you re.
Literally precisely what a snob would say... Like, completely.
Associating my alleged lack of sophistication with an inability to hate Olive Garden. Note, my post never said it was very good. I said it was mediocre. But not hating it means a lack of sophistication according to you.
Thanks for my proving my point that it takes a snob with an Olive Garden breadstick up their ass to elevate their self-worth by hating a mediocre chain restaurant. You're so sophisticated!
So why don't I go back that often?
- It's always completely JAM-PACKED with people, with always a wait for a table
- Just looking at that plate, I am SURE that each dish is probably 9,700 calories and loaded with MSG, {INSERT BAD INGREDIENT HERE], {INSERT OTHER BAD INGREDIENT HERE], {INSERT BAD ANOTHER INGREDIENT HERE], {INSERT YES EVEN ANOTHER BAD INGREDIENT HERE] and you will probably grow a 3rd eye if you eat it too often.
It's parent organization sees continual declining revenue and knows it needs to change and in fact is making some changes. Pretty much right now.
I haven't eaten their in years but when I did years ago it was OK. I gave a neighbor 2 years ago a gift certificate…I wonder if they hate me for it ;)
Initially they set up the restaurant as American people think a italian restaurant should be not as one actually is in real life.
So the concept is sort of like a average if you could produce of all American Italian restaurants.
So that was the initial model. It seems now it is failing and being rethought. It worked very handily for quite a few years however.
But yes, JCN was correct in his initial comment.
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But outside the comforts of the Tri-State, it can be a shining beacon of hope.
I've managed to get around a fair bit of this country, and I've seen this statement repeated often. I've yet to find a place that didn't have at least a few good restaurants, and even if you were going to eat in a chain, would OG really rank anywhere near the top of the list?
I might trust it more than taking a shot on an italian joint in Des Moines, but that's just one example. Some people don't want to put guess work into picking a place to eat, especially when they're on the move.
They missed their earnings and took a big hit. Americans just are not eating their like they used to. You may say…well my MCD is crowded, but this is a nationwide same store sales thing.
Used to be they were quite popular here.
Now it is Chipotle. Years and years ago MCD actually owned controlling interest in C but sold it. Now I bet they wished they had it back big time.
So Olive Garden now has to change. Yours may do great business overall same store sales…not so much.
1) Someone who doesn't lacks sophistication
2) The other (jcn) humble-bragged about traveling all over the country and seeing places where it's hated, too.
Nice arguments, guys!
Cam in MO : 1:40 pm : link : reply
Best Italian food in manhattan.
Krogers killed earning largely on the additions of their organic food brands.
Chipolte is off a bit this week as their increases did not match the prospectus but they are still trading at a outrageous multiple as they are growing so fast.
Fast food is modifying to this selectively as are restaurant chains.
The more a food or meal appears healthy is the more its business is growing.
Whole foods stock is still down year over year but it is not that it has become unpopular but that walmart has gotten into organics as well. And something I have noticed which may help whole food eventually….Walmart is now carrying whole foods branded food stuffs, tomato sauces stuff like that.
Organics healthy is becoming mainstream.
Olive garden does not have that reputation right now but that could be changed.
I do trade a bit in this area so it is why I am pretty current. Trading Kroger and Vitamin cottage(a smaller competitor to WFM) just recently.
Maybe you should order the alfredo dipping sauce, boss. Life changing.
They also don't finish the pasta in sauce, which is Pasta 101. Which surprises me, because of you'd think their fine Italian culinary school in Tuscany would have covered that.
healthy right now sells and it may be a permanent change to fast food restaurants and supermarkets. Appears it will be.
As far as contemporary chains go... Texas Roadhouse?? Holy SHIT that place is the phucquing BOMB.
Maybe my taste sucks because I eat mostly healthy? So that when I do get out any old shit will do? Could be I guess.
See. This is my point. How anyone could possibly LIKE these tastless whitebread, no crust, greasy,salt crusted concoctions is beyond me. There are so many examples of good bread in the tri-state area ... this is NOT ONE!
Olive Garden arguably has better tasting food than most of those chains, but it has always really shocked me that Olive Garden ever caught on. What town doesn't have an Italian restaurant better than Olive Garden?
They're all good for emergency meals. I usually wind up getting a couple of gift cards to those chains at Xmas, otherwise, I'd never set foot in one.
Oh - and Red Lobster IS THE WORST. Fucking disgusting. You can literally suck on a salt-drenched clove of garlic and get the same experience.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
Yuma, Arizona
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are hellaciously delicious
See. This is my point. How anyone could possibly LIKE these tastless whitebread, no crust, greasy,salt crusted concoctions is beyond me. There are so many examples of good bread in the tri-state area ... this is NOT ONE!
Listen, I worked at an Olive Garden 12 years ago, so I see the appeal in something that is slathered in garlic butter.
But again, like everything else on their menu, you can make it better at home with very little effort. Melt a bunch of butter and dump in a shitload of garlic salt. Mix it in an empty bucket with a boat oar, then use a paint roller to slather it on some Italian bread. Bake and serve.
- BBI
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
Greg pretty much nails it, except that of all the chains, OG ranks near the bottom.
- BBI
I heard the secret ingredient in the alfredo is spider eggs.
This tells you roughly where the growth is.
Chipotle,,,53, McD…10, Dri(Darden)….9
Darden the parent owns a lot of other things, Olive garden is not all it is by far, but olive garden is the one with the most trouble right now it seems.
I don't own it don't study it but it appears to be loosing market share and same store sales overall.
Truth.
St. Louis found a way to fuck up pizza. That's telling.
Not necessarily. A really good Sunday brunch buffet is a wonderful thing.
Something like this one....can't wait to go back - ( New Window )
Ten Ton Hammer : 2:13 pm : link : reply
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Say that to my face.
- Chinese Buffets
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buffets in general are gross
Ten Ton Hammer : 2:13 pm : link : reply
.
Say that to my face.
- Chinese Buffets
Enjoy your sneezed on and molested foodstuffs. No sir.
Greg's place is at least classy.
Best picture out there...
Their regular sauce isn't very good, but their meat sauce is decent. Get spaghetti with meat sauce with a side of Italian sausage and it's not too bad of a meal for about 11 or 12 bucks.
Enjoy your sneezed on and molested foodstuffs. No sir.
Greg's place is at least classy.
So Greg pays more money to eat sneezed on molested foodstuffs. Have at it, Mr. Highpockets. I'll be over here with General Tso.
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Ten Ton Hammer : 2:21 pm : link : reply
Enjoy your sneezed on and molested foodstuffs. No sir.
Greg's place is at least classy.
So Greg pays more money to eat sneezed on molested foodstuffs. Have at it, Mr. Highpockets. I'll be over here with General Tso.
Patrons at the Jefferson are far too classy to sneeze.
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In comment 11935644 EmpireWF said:
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are hellaciously delicious
See. This is my point. How anyone could possibly LIKE these tastless whitebread, no crust, greasy,salt crusted concoctions is beyond me. There are so many examples of good bread in the tri-state area ... this is NOT ONE!
Listen, I worked at an Olive Garden 12 years ago, so I see the appeal in something that is slathered in garlic butter.
But again, like everything else on their menu, you can make it better at home with very little effort. Melt a bunch of butter and dump in a shitload of garlic salt. Mix it in an empty bucket with a boat oar, then use a paint roller to slather it on some Italian bread. Bake and serve.
Except that doing it your way would result in a nice crust bread that might be edible. Better yet, slice the bread lengthwise, spread the butter and garlic salt on the inside (not the crust) and put it under the broiler to lightly toast.
Even in the northeast, mom and pop places are hit and miss.
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are hellaciously delicious
See. This is my point. How anyone could possibly LIKE these tastless whitebread, no crust, greasy,salt crusted concoctions is beyond me. There are so many examples of good bread in the tri-state area ... this is NOT ONE!
Grease, salt, and garlic is not tasteless. That's how.
Greg you are correct. When I lived in Florida I gladly ate Olive Garden. Now that I am back in NY I haven't been there once.
But the Cheddar Bay Biscuits... mmmmmmmm
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Look at this shit. Looks like something you'd get served at an Amusement Park Cafeteria.
But the Cheddar Bay Biscuits... mmmmmmmm
Who knew
So, suck it.
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In comment 11935746 x meadowlander said:
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Look at this shit. Looks like something you'd get served at an Amusement Park Cafeteria.
But the Cheddar Bay Biscuits... mmmmmmmm
Who knew
TTH I saw this in the store the other day and I almost bought it lol
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buffets in general are gross
Ten Ton Hammer : 2:13 pm : link : reply
.
Say that to my face.
- Chinese Buffets
Meow meow meow meow
For example... if I am Memphis I am not gonna go to Famous Dave's for BBQ. I am going to pick a local BBQ spot because that's what they do best.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
I get that they're predictable and consistent. There's a reason there's a zillion McDonalds and they're all busy.
Thing is - just about everyone of these chains is better than OG. Due to circumstance at one point or another, I've had to eat in all of them, and OG and TGIF are the only two that I'd rather just skip the meal entirely and eat the next day, they're not just consistent they're consistently awful.
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In comment 11935746 x meadowlander said:
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Look at this shit. Looks like something you'd get served at an Amusement Park Cafeteria.
But the Cheddar Bay Biscuits... mmmmmmmm
Who knew
You can tell the lobster is still alive; it's trying to crawl out of the bowl.
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The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
I get that they're predictable and consistent. There's a reason there's a zillion McDonalds and they're all busy.
Thing is - just about everyone of these chains is better than OG. Due to circumstance at one point or another, I've had to eat in all of them, and OG and TGIF are the only two that I'd rather just skip the meal entirely and eat the next day, they're not just consistent they're consistently awful.
jcn ...EXACTLY!
I asked if he meant a Chinese lunch buffet, sushi buffet, breakfast bugget... No, he meant like an Old Country Buffet.
He lasted about 2 months and I *think* he was canned because he allowed a vendor to steal money from us. Obviously correlation doesn't imply causation but I knew we were fucked after he said that.
Semester for son to eat at college cafeteria. .
the food was so bad he and friends are eating
at fast food and buying tv dinners for same price...
The thing I hate about buffets is that even if I only take small portions of different foods I still end up eating too much.
They're thinking 'shit, how did we manage to get these pictures of a buffet in a different continent, but we can't manage to get food?'
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
Uhhhhhh Yelp? TripAdviser? no excuse whatsoever!
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What town doesn't have an Italian restaurant better than Olive Garden?
http://www.yelp.com/biz/rockys-pizzeria-and-italian-foods-yuma
Yuma, Arizona
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0q4o58pKwA
love it!!!
The thing I hate about buffets is that even if I only take small portions of different foods I still end up eating too much.
absolutely. Add to in and out quickly, the fact that you can take what you want and if it urns out that you don't like it, go get something else. And instead of being limited to one entree, you can sample as many different ones as you want. Now, I have been to some bad buffets, but high end casinos are usually very good, and if you haven't been to the LV Bellagio's weekend gourmet buffet, you are really missing something.
Never been to an olive garden, but... A salesman took me to fazolis because of a time crunch. Fast food Italian. Seriously, it has a drive thru. I cannot imagine olive garden being worse than that.
Im at one right now. I eat small dinners for more room hahaha
So, OG is not as bad by way of comparison as it would be in NY, Boston etc . . .
you have a family, you want to go somewhere inexpensive that the kids can go to.. how can they screw up some ravioli with meat sauce..
can they? do they?? if so, that's an accomplishment. it's pasta with cheese in it.. a sauce with tomato/herbs/seasoning and meat
you don't need Mario Batali to make it.
It was never my favorite, and most people just got the soup, salad and bread stick all you can eat lunch.
hard to complain about that.
I've never eaten an Italian dish there, but that tour of Italy and the other Italian meals looks like the microwaved Italian equivalent of subway.
Back in April, my wife, kids, parents, and brothers went to Disney World. Last night we are there, we are going to go off site for dinner. I pushed hard for a highly rated Italian restaurant, but they had a 90 minute wait. So we went to Olive Garden. And I got food poisoning.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
When we moved from Jersey to Maryland, everyone reached about Ledos pizza. "Oh, it's so good, they said." Ledos is crap. Someone here decided that pizza sauce and crust needs to be loaded with sugar or something else that makes it really sweet. Took us over a year to find a decent NY Style Pizza place.
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The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
When we moved from Jersey to Maryland, everyone reached about Ledos pizza. "Oh, it's so good, they said." Ledos is crap. Someone here decided that pizza sauce and crust needs to be loaded with sugar or something else that makes it really sweet. Took us over a year to find a decent NY Style Pizza place.
For the record Greg...every pizza in California is as repulsive as the next. I've been out here thirty three years and I have yet to find any pizza near as good as what I used to get at the Hempstead Bus Depot back in the late sixties. Yet, the locals all swear by whatever garbage is being served. Same story with bagels.
I liked it, but my favorite in LV is at the Wynn
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In comment 11935726 Greg from LI said:
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The point is that with OG or Chili's or whatever, you know exactly what you're getting for good or ill. If you're in an unfamiliar area, there are probably good restaurants around but you don't know which ones they are. Recommendations are no sure thing - I'll never forget a childhood trip to California. We spent a couple of days in Anaheim going to Disneyworld. One night, we decided to get a pizza. Being New Yorkers, my parents wouldn't eat chain pizza on a dare, so dad goes to the front desk to ask around for a good local joint. The clerk raves about some place, tells him it's the best pizza in town. Another hotel worker chimes in to agree. So, we went there....and to this day it is the most repulsive pizza I've ever tasted in my life. Those little square school cafeteria pizzas are better.
Chains aren't fine dining, but they usually ARE reliably mediocre.
When we moved from Jersey to Maryland, everyone reached about Ledos pizza. "Oh, it's so good, they said." Ledos is crap. Someone here decided that pizza sauce and crust needs to be loaded with sugar or something else that makes it really sweet. Took us over a year to find a decent NY Style Pizza place.
For the record Greg...every pizza in California is as repulsive as the next. I've been out here thirty three years and I have yet to find any pizza near as good as what I used to get at the Hempstead Bus Depot back in the late sixties. Yet, the locals all swear by whatever garbage is being served. Same story with bagels.
I imagine introducing those people to real NY style pizza would be like introducing cavemen to fire.
Ahh, they was the restaurant that had a 90 minute wait in Orlando. Didn't realize it was a chain at all until they started building one at Columbia Mall. Definitely going to have to check it out.
Carmine's is living off reputation. It was never a great stop, but it was a place you could take a crowd, usually not have to have much advance notice either, and it was relatively cheap. The food has fallen off rapidly as they expanded into chain territory and they cut back on quality to improve their profit margins.
20 years ago, I worked on the UWS and we'd go there on occasion - food wasn't great, but we could get a seat for 15 people on the quick and there was alcohol. A couple of years ago I went to visit a friend up there and we stopped in, and the food was depressing. Nowhere near the level of quality it had been years ago.
Sorry, I like Carmine's. Been there twice. My wife and I used to make a habit of seeing a show in the city every year before we got married and popped out three kids. First time was in 2000 with my girlfriend (now wife). Second time was in 2002, with my fiance and some friends (we asked those friends to be in our wedding party that night). The food was tasty, the portions were large, and none of us were drinking wine.
I definitely want to at least try it. Probably won't go often, because of the price.
Oh, and Stan is still a tool.
When we moved from Jersey to Maryland, everyone reached about Ledos pizza. "Oh, it's so good, they said." Ledos is crap. Someone here decided that pizza sauce and crust needs to be loaded with sugar or something else that makes it really sweet. Took us over a year to find a decent NY Style Pizza place.
Ledo's is farking terrible. I've never had grape jelly that was as sweet as that sauce - yuck.
For the record Greg...every pizza in California is as repulsive as the next. I've been out here thirty three years and I have yet to find any pizza near as good as what I used to get at the Hempstead Bus Depot back in the late sixties. Yet, the locals all swear by whatever garbage is being served. Same story with bagels.
You haven't been to the right places. If you are interested I have 1/2 dozen places that have pizza and a 1/2 places that have bagels that are as good as or better than East Coast(and I grew up on the East Coast).
As I mention with Olive Garden…. management realizes there is a problem, they just came off earnings saying so and they are making changes to do so. They say they are(darden).
So eating at olive garden six months from now will not be the same as eating at olive garden a month age.